BakoSaint

The Cowboys let Elliott walk. The Vikings let Cook walk. The Steelers let Bell walk. The Chargers let LT2 walk. The Vikings let Adrian Peterson walk.

Would it really have been in any of these teams interests to 'take care' of their aging running backs because 'players talk' rather than freeing up resources to compete in the future?

The Jets signed 3 of these players, so maybe when players talk what they will say is 'hey Kamara, talk to the suckers in New York if you have lost a step, they've got money to burn.'

rezburna

None of those teams turned out any better “freeing up resources”. Make your legend happy. Let him retire a lifelong, Saint. Build a culture that values the feelings of the players.

AsylumGuido

Don't waste your time with Bako, Rez. He hates everything the Saints are now. Hates.

Sinner

AK IS OUT, at exactly the time that a well managed team in our position would have him IN. Nah we are a hot mess.
That’s what the Saints are now.

BakoSaint

There are 32 teams in the league, and if a team just won the Superbowl or got very close, that is often not the year that they move on from an aging running back in anticipation of decline, because it is safer to just 'stick with what worked' when it is working. Also, it is often the case that teams that feature star running backs as centerpieces of their offense don't win as many rings as more 'pass first' teams, so most teams that move on from such running backs are not great contenders before or after. The Saints did not win the Super Bowl or get close last year. The fact is that all these running backs decline around this age, then don't usually do much for their next team, and letting them walk if they want too much cash at least gives a chance to put that money on a player with upside. The Jets will sign him just like they signed LT2, Bell, and Cook, and he will be fine.

If AK is willing to take a team friendly deal like Demario Davis was, I would be happy for the Saints to extend him. If what it will take to make him happy is a 'him friendly' deal like Cam Jordan got when he started waxing poetic about his lovely dream to retire a Saint, we need to say No. My fear is a deal that approaches what the 49ers paid CMC, which would not be team friendly, something that guaranteed over $12 million in 2025 or over $8 million in 2026 before we even see if he lost a step or is rejuvenated in the new offense despite the questionable oline in 2024. Realistically, market value would be low for Kamara if he was a free agent, similar to Cook and Elliott last year. We don't need to pay way over market value.

A good example of a team benefitting from letting an aging RB walk is the Colts with Edgerrin James. The Colts let James walk in 2006, his age 28 season, and won the Super Bowl their first year without him, and returned to another Super Bowl 3 years later. Kamara will be entering his age 29 season this year. James signed with the Cardinals who did make the Super Bowl in 2008 his final year with the team, but by that times James was a greatly declined 500 yard rusher for the year and honestly the Cardinals might have a ring if they had put the money elsewhere.